Life extension and license renewal

The capital cost of NPPs which is extremely high compared to that of other forms of power generating facilities, the special requirements to be met regarding the preservation of a high standard of plant safety, and the continuous need for extensive maintenance to guarantee a high degree of plant availability ensure that nuclear power plants are not subject in the same degree to an aging process than fossil-fired plant's. Consequently, for about the last 10 years, deliberations have been under way as to whether the service life, as described in the technical specifications, can be extended by appropriate means or whether there are obstacles which rule out such an extension on principle